Women entrepreneurship research in the developing world relies on theoretical perspectives derived elsewhere. Hence, understanding the original business-development approaches adopted by women entrepreneurs in developing economies remains elusive. Accordingly, we collected and analyzed rich data generated through 31 in-depth interviews and artifacts of Nigerian women entrepreneurs in the garment manufacturing business. Our analysis revealed distinct constructs that account for their business-development activities. It shows money (access and utilization), market (customer intelligence), and management (nonformal education and experience) as crucial enterprise development components in women entrepreneurship. Motherhood (household responsibilities), meso- and macro-environments (socioeconomic and cultural factors) not only affected business development but also inhibited women entrepreneurs’ access and utilization of money, management, and markets and shaped their business development actions. Theoretical and practical implications for entrepreneurship research and policy development initiatives in the developing world are offered.

This study examined entrepreneurial competencies as a viable pathway for improving the innovative performance of SMEs in Nigeria’s informal sector and the contingent roles of the business environment. A survey research design was used to gather data from 296 entrepreneurs who operate informal SMEs in Nigeria. Based on the findings from the SEM-PLS multivariate analysis, the study concluded that entrepreneurial competencies, especially organizing, conceptual, learning, strategic, opportunity, and risk-taking competencies, are essential for achieving higher innovation performance. The study also reveals that entrepreneurial competencies are useful toward mitigating environmental pressures resulting from operational turbulence and erratic policy changes, as the firm drives toward improving innovation outputs. As such, the entrepreneurship environment is becoming more endogenous as entrepreneurs, through their entrepreneurial competencies, have started to gain control over it. This study contributes to the entrepreneurship literature by highlighting the most essential competencies alongside the relevant contingencies. By doing that, this study offers a practical guide on priority competence area that entrepreneurship stakeholders, including entrepreneurs and policymakers, should consider for investment.

Factors Affecting the Investment Climate, SMEs Productivity and Entrepreneurship in Nigeria

There exists a noticeable void in the literature about strategies that business operators, especially those in highly vulnerable economies, can adapt to sustain their survival and to achieve growth in economically turbulent times. This study investigated strategies that can support the viability and survival of businesses in times of environmental disruptions. The study adopted a qualitative research design that involved the interview of 31 business owners across different sectoral groups including fashion and telecommunication that are operating in Nigeria’s Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) sector. The interview sessions were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim and thematically analysed. The findings reveal that amid disruptions, the business owners were resilient and established diverse digital strategies that helped them to keep their businesses afloat throughout the time of disruption. This finding contributes to the field of entrepreneurship as it offers practical strategies for supporting business owners during times of disruptions, especially in a developing country context.